Cartons



July 5, 1960 J. A. mgnmosou CARTONS 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 18, 1958wwwww llllllllunuk k James H. RmnnRyso/v BY. MMIMIMM FTTQRNE YS July 5,1960 J. A. RICHARDSON CARTONS s Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 18. 1958MNQMKX ww s Q Q mm w mm v IITTaR/YEYS J. A. RICHARDSON CARTONS 6Sheets-Sheet 3 JHMES H RMHHRJJSIJN 3/ YMVIM RTfoPNEYS July 5, 1960 FiledFeb. 1a. 1958 July 5, 1960 J. A. RICHARDSON CARTONS 6 Sheets-Sheet 4Filed Feb. 18, 1958 TIMES A RKHHRPSON an fill/4m July 5, 1960 J. A.RICHARDSON CARTONS 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Feb. 18. 1958 J FINES H-RIC'IQRSON CARTONS James A. Richardson, Burnaby, British Columbia,Canada, assignor to Unipak Cartons Ltd., Vancouver, British Columbia,Canada, a corporation of British Columbia Filed Feb. 18, 1958, Ser. No.715,889

Claims priority, application Canada Jan. 22, 1958 8 Claims. (Cl.220-115) This invention relates to cartons and more particularly toblanks from which said cartons are formed.

As is known, fragile articles transported in cardboard cartons should begiven as much protection as possible, particularly, where thetransportation of glass bottles is concerned. Many proposals have,heretofore, been made to protect the bottles by means of internalseparators within the cartons. Such proposals have envisaged forming thecarton from one blank and the interior assembly or internal separatorfrom another blank, the product of the latter either being mated to thecarton blank during assembly so that it is in fixed relation thereto, orbeing freely inserted into the carton so that both components are freelyreplaceable.

Such proposals have either been too costly, due to the labour and stepsof manufacture involved in assembling the carton, or due to highpercentage of wastage of material utilized in the manufacture of thecartons owing to the design of the interior assembly employed. Moreover,many designs of such blanks have been so intricate that the assembly ofthe carton becomes a highly complex manoeuvre. At the same time, manydesigns have proved unsatisfactory in use inasmuch as they have failedto give adequate protection both to the heels and shoulders of bottles,a safety measure which is of paramount importance when considering thetransportation of glass bottles.

One object of this invention, therefore, is to provide a one-piece blankfrom which a carton can be constructed having an interior assemblyintegral therewith which will overcome the above disadvantages and whichwill, by virtue of its simplicity in design, enable assembly of such acarton to knock-down form to be effected by relatively unskilled labour,and which will nevertheless give the utmost protection to bottlestransported in the cartons. According to one aspect, the inventionrelates to a onepiece blank for forming a multi-cell carton having aninterior assembly of mutually transverse partitions defining articlereceiving compartments therein, said blank comprising a plurality ofpanels disposed in seriatim side-byside relation, an outer one of saidpanels forming said interior assembly whilst the next adjacent panelthereto serves as a means to fix the interior assembly in position whenthe carton is assembled, the remainder of said panels forming the wallstructure of the carton.

According to another aspect, the invention relates to a multi-cellcarton formed from a one-piece blank having a plurality of panelsdisposed in seriatim side-by-side relation, said carton having a wallstructure formed by selected ones of said panels to define side and endwalls and a bottom, an extension on one of said side walls, saidextension being defined by the remaining panels of said blank, apredetermined portion of said extension forming an interior assemblywithin the carton of mutually transverse partitions defining articlereceiving compartments therein, the remaining portion of said extensionserving as a means to fix the interior assembly to the wall structure ofthe carton. a a

. portion-28 of panel 40 located between said pairs of par-.

2,943,763 Patented July 5, 1960 One embodiment of the invention isillustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the one-piece blank before assembly of acarton to its knock-down form;

Figures 2 to 4 show various stages of the blank during assembly of acarton to its knock-down form;

Figures 5 to 7 are end views of a carton shown in various stages oferection from its knock-down form to its filling condition; and 1 Figure8 is a part-sectional perspective view of a carton assembled for fillingpurposes.

, Referring to the drawings, and in particular to Figure 1, it will beseen that a one-piece blank for forming a multi-cell carton having aninterior assembly of mutually transverse partitions defining articlereceiving compart ments therein,'is so cut as to provide a plurality ofpanels disposed in seriatim side-by-side relation.

The right-hand four panels, as viewed in Figure 1, form the wallstructure of the carton and are scored and incised to provide side walls1 and 2, end walls 3 and 4, top end closures 5, top side closures 6,bottom end closures 7, and bottom side closures 8. End wall 4 isprovided with a hingeable tab 9 so as to form a finger aperture and aselected area of one face of said end wall is coated with pressuresensitive adhesive 10. End wall 3 is also provided With a vertical strip11 of pressure sensitive adhesive, and side walls 1 and 2 are alsoprovided with horizontal strips '12, 13 respectively, similarly coatedwith adhesive.

Integrally connected to the side wall 1, remote from the end wall 3, isa further panel 14 provided with a first hingeable tab 15 on its upperedge and a second hingeable tab 16 forming a finger aperture, one faceof said tab 15 and a selected area of one face of the main portion ofthe panel 14 being coated with pressure sensitive adhesive 17. Theentire obverse face of the main portion of the panel shown in Figure 1is also coated with pressure sensitive adhesive. The panel 14 serves asa means to fix the interior assembly in position when the carton isassembled, as will be described hereinafter.

Connected to the panel 14, remote from the side wall 1, is a furtherpanel, indicated generally at 40, which ultimately serves as theinterior assembly of the carton and which is so cut as to provide a pairof complementary main or primary portions indicated at 18, 19 integrallyjoined by means of a horizontal score line 20, said primary portions ofsaid panel 40 ultimately serving as a longitudinal partition as will bedescribed hereinafter. It will be seen that whereas the primary portion19 of the panel 40 is integrally joined, by means of a vertical scoreline 21, to the adjacent panel 14, primary portion 18 of panel 40 isdivided from said adjacent panel 14 by means of a continuousright-angled incision 22 which extends along one vertical edge of saidprimary portion 18 and a portion of one horizontal edge thereof.

Each primary portion 18, 19 of panel 40 is scored and incised so as toprovide a plurality of further or secondary portions 23 which ultimatelyserve as transverse partitions within the carton, as will be describedhereinafter.

The primary portions 18, 19 and the secondary portions 23 of panel 40form mutually transverse partition members defining article receivingcompartments within the carton.

Referring in particular to Figure 1, it will be seen that each secondaryportion 23 of panel 40 is of substantially hexagonal shape and is formedby complementary diagonal incisions 24, inner horizontal incisions 25,outer horizontal incisions 26 and vertical score lines 27.

It will also be seen from Figure 1 that the inner horizontal incisions26 are arranged in two pairs of adjacent parallel rows and this stillfurther or tertiary elongated allel incisions 26 is coated on theobverse face shown inFigure 1 with pressure sensitive adhesive.

One end of each of said tertiary portions 28 is divisible from itsrespective primary portion 18, 19 of panel 40 through theintermediary-of a vertical score line 29 connecting the innerhorizontaltincisions' 26, of a pair of end secondary portions 23. Theopposite end of each of said tertiary portions 28 projects beyond. itsassociated primary portion 18,19 of panel 40.

It will also be seen from Figure 1 that a strip 30 of each primary,portion 18, 19, located either side of the horizontal score line20, iscoated with pressure sensitive adhesive as is also a marginal strip 31of each primary portion 18, 19 remote from the horizontal score line 20.Moreover, one of the primary portions 18, 19 of the panel 40; in thisparticular case the former, is provided with ahin'geable tab 32projecting from one end thereof and connected thereto by a verticalscore line 33, said hingeable tab 32 being coated on its obverse face,as seen in Figure l, with pressure sensitive adhesive.

To assemble thecarton to it's knock-down form, primary portion 18 ofpanel 40 is folded along the horizontal score line 20 and the gluedstrips 30, 31 brought into uniting contact with one another, thiscondition being shown in Figure 2.

Thereafter, as will be seen from Figure 3, the first hingeable tab 15 ofthe adjacent panel 14 is folded downwardly so that one face thereofadheres with one face of the main portion of said panel.

The combined primaryportions 18, 19 of panel 40, together with theadjacent panel 14, are then folded along the vertical line of junctureexisting between the latter and the side wall (see Figure 4). This willbring the coated face of the hingeable tab 32 of primary portion 18 intoregistry with the vertical strip 11 of adhesive ex isting on end wall 3.Concurrently, the coated face of tertiary portion 28 of primary portion18 will be in registry with the horizontal strip 12 of adhesive on theside,

wall 1.

The side wall' 2 and end wall 4 are bent about the vertical line ofjuncture existing between said side wall 2 and end wall 3'so as tooverlie the side wall 1 and end wall 3, and hence the panel 14 andcombined primary portions 18, 19. This. will automatically bring thecoated area of end wall 4 into registry with the coated face of panel14, and simultaneously the horizontal strip 13 of adhesive on thesidewall 2 will be brought into registry with the coated face oftertiary portion 28 of primary portion 19.

Pressure is then applied to the assembly so as to ensure adhesionbetween the various components, the carton thus being in its knock-downform. Thus, side wall 1 has, in effect, an extension which is defined bypanels 40 and 14, a predetermined portion, i.e. the panel 40, of saidextension forming the interior assembly of the carton. The remainingportion, i.e. the panel 14, of the extension serves as a means to fixthe interior assembly to the wall structure of the carton.

It will be appreciated that to erect a carton from its knock-down formfor filling purposes, all that is required is for slight physicalpressure to be applied to the outer sides of the flattened carton inknown manner, and Figures 5 to 7 show end views of the carton, invarious stages of its erection. The bottom portions 7, 8 of the cartonare then closed and sealed with glue, tape or by means of staples inknown manner.

After the carton has been filled with the desired contents, the topportions 5, 6 are folded down and the carton sealed by adhesive or tapeextending over the outer marginal edges of the top side closures 6.

When the flattened carton is opened for filling purposes, due to theadhesion between the wall structure of the carton and its interiorassembly, the hingeable end tab 32 will bend, about thevertical scoreline 33 and the combined primary portions 18, 19 of'panel 40 will bendabout-the vertical scorelineZl (see Figure 1) so that 4 said combinedprimary portions 18, 19 will extend along the longitudinal axis of thecarton so as to form a longitudinal partition therein.

Concurrently, each substantially elongated tertiary portion 28 of panel40 will be pulled outwardly and away from its associated primary portion18, 19, see Figures 5 to 7. As this occurs, due to the hingeableconnections existing between the outer ends of the secondary portions 23of the panel 40 and the tertiary portions 28 thereof on the one hand,and the inner ends of the secondary portions 23 and the primary portions18, 19 of the panel 40 on the other hand, said secondary portions 28will extend at right angles to the longitudinal partition and the sidewalls of the carton to form transverse partitions within the latter,each of said transverse partitions being formed by upper and lowersecondary portions 23 disposed in a common plane, the outer ends ofwhich are connected with one another by means of the tertiary portions28 of panel 40.

From reference to Figure 8 of the accompanying drawings, it will be seenthat the width of the panel 14 is substantially equal to one half of thewidth of the end wall 4 to which it is attached and this ensures thatthe longitudinal partition will exactly subdivide the carton along itslongitudinal axis. Moreover, as will also be seen from Figure 8, thehingeable tab 15 of the panel 14 serves as a reinforcement for thefinger aperture by means of which said carton can be carried by hand,the adhesion existing between the tabs 16 and 9 of the panel 14 and endwall 1 respectively, also serving to reinforce the carrying aperture.

Although the invention has been described above as applied to cartonswithout a handle, it is equally applicable to a carton incorporating anextensible handle of the type described in co-pending United Statespatent application Serial No. 715,932, filed February 18, 1958.

It will also be appreciated that although the drawings show a cartonadapted to contain six bottles, the invention is equally applicable tocartons for carrying more or less bottles.

Moreover, although, as shown, the shape of each secondary portion 23 ishexagonal, said secondary portions may have shapes approximating to aparallelogram or a pentagon as envisaged in the above-mentioned US.patent application Serial No. 715,932, or any other shape, providing thespirit of the invention is not departed from.

Although the embodiment of the invention described above has eachtransverse partition formed by upper and lower secondary portions 23disposed in a common plane, each of said transverse partitions could beformed by more than two such portions providing the outer ends thereofare all connected with one another by tertiary portions 28 of panel 40,said portions 28 being secured to the wall structure of the carton.

Moreover, although the invention has been described and illustrated asapplied to a carton with a top closure, it is equally applicable to anopen-topped carton.

Thus, the invention provides a simple one-piece blank from which amulti-cell carton is formed, said carton having an integral interiorassembly providing the utmost protection to both heels and shoulders ofadjacent bottles carried therein, and by reason of the tertiary portionsbeing secured to the side walls of the carton and integrally connectingthe outer ends of each pair of the secondary portions disposed in acommon plane with one another, the entire interior assembly and cartonwill receive additional interior bracing and support.

I claim:

1. A multi-cell carton formed from a one-piece blank having a pluralityof panels disposed in seriatim side-byside relation, said carton havinga wall structure formed by selected ones of said panels to define sideand end walls and a bottom, an extension on one of said side walls, saidextension being defined by the remaining panels of said blank, apredetermined portion of said extension forming an interior assemblyincluding a unitary member the main portion of which serves as alongitudinal partition, secondary portions of said unitary memberserving as a plurality of transverse partitions, each transversepartition being formed of at least two secondary portions of saidunitary member disposed in a common plane and having inner and outerends, a tertiary portion of said unitary member connecting the outerends of said secondary portions and being fixed to an adjacent side wallof said wall structure, said longitudinal partition and transversepartitions defining article receiving compartments in said carton, theremaining portion of said extension serving as a means to fix theinterior assembly to the wall structure of the carton.

2. A multi-cell carton formed from a one-piece blank having a pluralityof panels disposed in seriatim side-byside relation, said carton havinga wall structure formed by selected ones of said panels to define sideand end walls and a bottom, an extension on one of said side walls, saidextension being defined by the remaining panels of said blank, apredetermined portion of said extension forming an interior assemblyincluding a unitary member the main portion of which serves as alongitudinal partition, secondary portions of said unitary memberserving as a plurality of transverse partitions, each transversepartition being formed of at least two secondary portions of saidunitary member disposed in a common plane, each secondary portion havingat least a pair of upperandlower opposed side edges and opposed innerand outer ends, a tertiary portion of said unitary member connecting theouter ends of said secondary portions and being fixed to an adjacentsidewall of said wall structure, said longitudinal partition andtransverse partitions defining article receiving compartments in saidcarton, the remaining portion of said extension serving as a means tofix the interior assembly to the wall structure of the carton.

3. A multi-cell carton formed from a one-piece blank having a pluralityof panels disposed in seriatim side-byside relation, said carton havinga wall structure formed by selected ones of said panels to define a pairof opposed side walls, a pair of opposed end walls, and a bottom, anextension on one of said side walls, said extension being defined by theremaining panels of said blank, a predetermined portion of saidextension forming an interior assembly including a unitary member themain portion of which serves as a longitudinal partition having an endportion securing one end of said partition to one of said pair of endwalls, secondary portions of said unitary member serving as a pluralityof transverse partitions, each transverse partition being formed of atleast two of said secondary portions disposed in a common plane, eachsecondary portion having at least a pair of upper and lower opposed sideedges and opposed inner and outer ends, a tertiary portion of saidunitary member connecting the outer ends of said secondary portions andbeing fixed to an adjacent side wall of said wall structure, saidlongitudinal partition and transverse partitions defining articlereceiving compartments in said carton, the remaining portion of saidextension being fixed to the other of said pair of end walls and servingto secure the remaining end of said longitudinal partition to the wallstructure.

4. A multi-cell carton formed from a one-piece blank having a pluralityof panels disposed in seriatim side-byside relation, said carton havinga wall structure formed by selected ones of said panels to define a pairof opposed side walls, a pair of opposed end walls, and a bottom, meansin one of said end walls whereby said carton can be carried, anextension on one of said side walls, said extension being defined by theremaining panels of said blank, a predetermined portion of saidextension forming an interior assembly including a unitary member themain portion of which serves as a longitudinal partition having an endportion securing one end of said partition to one of said pair of endwalls, secondary portions of said unitary member serving as a pluralityof transverse partitions, each transverse par-' tition being formed ofat least two of said secondary portions disposed in a common plane, eachsecondary portion having at least a pair of upper and lower opposed sideedges and opposed inner and outer ends, a tertiary portion of saidunitary member connecting the outer ends of said secondary portions andbeing fixed to an adjacent side wall of said wall structure,. saidlongitudinal partition and transverse partitions defining articlereceiving compartments in said carton, the remaining portion of saidextension being fixed to the other of said pair of end walls and servingto secure the remaining end of said longitudinal partition to the wallstructure, said remaining portion of said extension having means toreinforce said carrying means in its associated end Wall.

5. A one-piece blank for forming a .multi-cell carton having an interiorassembly of mutually transverse partitions defining article receivingcompartments therein, said blank comprising a plurality of panelsdisposed in seriatim side-by-side relation, an outer end one of saidpanels being cut and scored so as to provide a pair of complementarymain portions joinedtogether along a common score line, each of saidcomplementary main portions being cut and scored so as to provide aplurality of secondary portions, said pair of complementary mainportions of said outer end one of said panels being adapted, on foldingalong said common score line, to form a longitudinal partition, saidpluralityof secondary portions being adapted to be bent outwardly so asto extend at right angles to their respective complementary mainportions and thereby form a plurality of transverse partitions, each ofwhich are constituted by at least two of said secondary portionsdisposed in a common plane, the panel adjacent to said outer end onepanel being cut and scored whereby it is adapted to fix said interiorassembly in position when the carton is assembled, the remainder of saidpanels being cut and scored and adapted to form walls of the carton.

6. A one-piece blank for forming a multi-cell carton having an interiorassembly of mutually transverse partitions defining article receivingcompartments therein, said blank comprising a plurality of panelsdisposed in seriatim side-by-side relation, an outer end one of saidpanels being cut and scored so as to provide a pair of complementarymain portions joined together along a common score line, each of saidcomplementary main portions being cut and scored so as to provide aplurality of secondary portions connected together by a tertiary portionof the respective complementary main portion, said pair of complementarymain portions of said outer end one panel being adapted, on foldingalong said common score line, to form a longitudinal partition, saidplurality of secondary portions being adapted to be bent outwardly so asto extend at right angles to their respective complementary mainportions and thereby form a plurality of transverse partitions each ofwhich are constituted by at least two of said secondary portionsdisposed in a common plane, the panel adjacent to said outer end onepanel being cut and scored whereby it is adapted to fix said interiorassembly in position when the carton is assembled, the remainder of saidpanels being cut and scored and adapted to form walls of the carton,each of said tertiary portions of the complementary main portions of thesaid outer end one panel being adapted to extend parallel with itsassociated main portion and to be fixed to an adjacent wall of thecarton.

7. A one-piece blank for forming a multi-cell carton having an interiorassembly of mutually transverse partitions defining article receivingcompartments therein, said blank comprising a plurality of panelsdisposed in seriatim side-by-side relation, an outer end one of saidpanels being cut and scored so as to provide a pair of complementarymain portions joined together along a common score line, each of saidcomplementary main port-ions being cut and scored so as to provide aplurality of secondary portions connected together by a tertiary portionof the respective complementary main portion, one of said complementarymain portions being cut and scored to provide a projecting tab, saidpair of complementary main portions of said outer end one panel beingadapted, on folding along said common score line, to form a longitudinalpartition, said plurality of secondary portions being adapted to be bentoutwardly 'so' as to extend at right angles to their respectivecomplementary main portions and thereby 'form a plurality of transversepartitions each of which are constituted by at least two of saidsecondary portions disposed in a common'plane, the panel adjacent tosaid outer end one panel being cut and scored whereby it is, togetherwith said projecting tab, adapted to fix s'aid interior assembly inposition when the carton is assembled, the remainder of said panelsbeing cutand scored and adapted to form walls of the carton, each ofs'a'fdt'ertiar'y portions of "the complementary main portions of the'said outer end one panel being adapted to extend'parallel'with itsassociated main portion and to be fixed to an adjacent wall of thecarton.

8. A one-piece blank for forming 'a multi-cell carton having an interiorassembly of mutually transverse partitions defining article receivingcompartments therein, said blank comprising aplur'ality of panelsdisposed in seriatim side-by-side relation, an outer 'end one of saidpanels being cut and scored so as to provide a pair of complementarymain portions joined together along a common score line, each of saidcomplementary main portions being cut and scored so as to provide aplurality of secondary portions connected together by a tertiary portionof the respective complementary main portion, one of said complementarymain portions being cut and scored to provide a projecting tab, saidpair of complementary main portions of said outer end one panel beingadapted, on folding along said common score line, to form a longitudinalpartition, said plurality of secondary portions being adapted to be bentoutwardly so as to extend at right angles to their respectivecompleme'ntary main portions and thereby form a plurality of transversepartitions each of which are constituted by at least two of saidsecondary portions disposed in a common plane, the panel adjacent tosaid outer end one panel being cut and scored so as to provide anaperture therein and a reinforcing portion connected to its associatedpanel along a score line, the panel adjacent to said outer end one panelbeing adapted, together with said projecting tab, to fix said interiorassembly in position when the carton is assembled, the remainder of saidpanels being cut and scored and adapted to form walls of the carton, aselected one of said remainder of panels being cut and scoredso astoprovide an aperture therein, both of said apertures being in registrywhen the carton is assembled and providing means for carrying thelatter, said reinforcing portion, upon folding along its score line,being adapted to reinforce said carrying means, each of said tertiaryportions of the complementary main portions of the said outer end onebeing adapted to extend parallel with its associated main portion and tobe fixed to an adjacent wall of the carton.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS476,622 Ferres June 7, 1892 1,962,492 Fallert June 12, 1934 2,097,941Wells Nov. 2, 1937 2,586,886 Tyrseck Feb. 26, 1952 2,687,232 ArnesonAug. 24, 1954

